“Hold your ground quietly, Major,” Keller said, his voice steady and reassuring.

“We’ll carry out the extraction exactly on schedule.”

“What if they try to record a transfer deed at the county courthouse before Thursday morning?” I asked aloud.

Keller leaned in half an inch, pressing his flat palms against the wooden table.

“Our legal counsel put an administrative hold flag on the county recorder’s queue at nine o’clock this morning,” Keller said.

“No deed transfer or legal document will be processed before five a.m. on Thanksgiving Day.”